Risk Management / Identifying Risk / Incidents & Claims
Definitions
Incident: An event or occurrence.
Claim: A demand or request for compensation (financial payout) because of the incident.
When Does an Incident Become a Claim?
When the person or party involved in the incident suffers a loss (property damage or bodily injury) and is seeking compensation from the liable party or parties.
Why Do We Investigate Incidents?
To understand the facts: how or why did the incident occur?
To determine liability: who is responsible for the incident occurring?
To capture all relevant information in a timely fashion: contracts, porter logs, sign in/out sheets, statements, inspection reports and more, depending on the type of incident.
We often rely on these documents 2–3 years following an incident, after a legal claim has been made. They are evidence.